Safety swimming-cycle



Patented Oct 14, 1919.

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ALFRED HEWLETT JONES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SAFETY SWIMMING-CYCLE.

Application filed January 31, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. JONES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Safety Swimming-Cycle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to amusement devices or the like and has particular reference to swimming machines.

Among the objects of the invention is to produce a device of a relatively simple, compact and reliable nature whereby a person may propel himself in or along the water with unusual speed and much pleasure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimming device comprising a center ballast frame and body or floats, the buoy ancy of which is sufficient to keep the machine afloat either with or without the swimmer thereon.

A further object of the invention. is to produce a swimming machine so designed as to give the swimmers legsfree movement either for auxiliary propelling and steering purposes, or for the support of the swimmer at the beach or elsewhere.

With the foregoing and other objects in view. the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine, and what I regard at this time as the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation indicating the manner of use of the machine.

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section on the line 4.4: of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail view indicating the preferred character of joint connection employed at different parts of the machine, on the line 55 of Fig. 1; and

Fig 6 is an enlarged sectional detail indicating the preferred construction of the bottom floats. v

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I show a machine embodying Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 14:, 1919.

Serial No. 274,275.

buoyant body comprising a pair of floats 10 on opposite sides of a central longitudinal buoyant frame 11, made preferably of relatively light metallic tubing, or its equiv alent, preferably circular in cross section for maximum strength in proportion to its weight as well as providing the maximum displacement in proportion to its strength. The frame is made of sufficient stiffness or rigidity to support the other parts the machine through straps 12, 13, 1% and 15. 16 indicates longitudinal keel plates extending forward from the strap 14 and connected at their front ends by frame or bracket members supporting the master gear. These bracket members include a transverse stay 16 at the rear end of the gear support 18 in addition to a rear bracket 17, and firmly braced at its front end by means of a strap 15 to the ballast frame. Each keel plate 16 as indicated-in Fig. 6 is formed of sheet metal and includes lateral b aces 16 stamped out from the main plane thereof to engage beneath the sectional parts of the body 10. The canvas covering 19 after encompassing the body has its edges extending along or around the downwardly projecting portion of the plate where it is clamped by a channel member 16 held in place by transverse fasteners 16 making a strong and reliable attachment for the covering as well as the other parts of the float.

The floats 10 are formed preferably as indicated in Fig. 4 providing gently rounded upper surfaces for the support of the swimmers trunk, each of the floats being approximately a triangular gothic in cross sec on and having one angle portion of each triangle extending downward, thereby providing a most stable form for the float stru ture and reducing consequently the liability for the capsizing of the machine in practice. The floats may be made of any suitabie material so as to aflord strength, buoyancy, and comfort. I find, however, for this pur pose that the light wood known as balsa is well adapted for this purpose and consequently is very satisfactory and reliable e pecially when covered with a coating or fabric such as canvas 19.v

The front portion of the machine may assume any suitable design but provides for a mechanical joint on each side at 20 111 transverse alinement with a similar joint on the opposite side just above the head eX- tension of the frame 1].; These joints 20 come naturally at about the points on the sides of the head where the ordinary rosette of a horses bridle are located, and consequently the appearance of the machine 1s enhanced. The character of this joint 20 is indicated in Fig. 5, it having a tubular clamping support 21, a spherical socket member 2 having threaded engagement with the support, and a ball member 23 having universal movement in the socket member 22. lVith respect to the head connections the ball members 23 constitute the upper ends of operating levers 24, each having a hand grip 25 at its lower end for manual operation of the machine.

For the propulsion of the machine I provide a pair of rotary propellers 26 at the rear end of the body or float structure and just beneath the rear ends of the floats. These propellers are connected to and operated from a pair of shafts 27 suitably ournaled in the frame structure and having at their front ends a pair of pinions 28 between which a master gear 29 operates. This gear 29 is journaled in the front bracket 18 and has connected to its axis a pair of cranks from which a pair of connecting rods 81 extend to the hand levers 24. All of the joints between the cranks, the connecting rods, and ti e hand levers are all preferably of the ball and socket type shown in Fig. 5 for complete universality of movement. The cranks 80 extend radially in opposite directions from the gear shaft and hence the hand levers 24L must be operated in alternation in the driving of the machine. lVith the master gear 29 acting upon both of the pinions 28 in the manner indicated they and the propellers are driven in opposite directions, and hence the propellers are constructed with their blades arranged oppositely or as rights and lefts in order to effect the direct forward propulsion. In this connection it is to be noted that the shafts 27 are not parallel and that the propellers do not operate in the same transverse plane but at a slight angle to each other whereby the forward thrust is the resultant of the rearward thrust upon the water in directions divergent slightly rearward.

The operating mechanism is largely guarded by the buoyant body members 10, but to prevent the striking of the propellers against the bottom of the sea or other obstructions I provide a guard wheel 32 journaled upon a transverse axis in the rear frame extension 17 and having its periphery extending below the planes of the bottoms of the propellers. Obviously this wheel may be employed as a ground wheel for the transportation of the machine along the beach or elsewhere.

The rear portion of the frame 11 is bent upward and forward in the form of a hook 11 adapted to conform to the swimmers body where it is straddled by the swimmer. As indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 the curvature of the hook is such that at the lower portion or bend the arc is on a short radius, the middle portion is on the longest radius, and the upper portion is on a mediuin radius. This curvature is best suited for the comfort of the rider. The book projects upward through'the swimmers crotch and thence forward toward his back and constitutes a means to prevent the tendency for lateral displacement of the swimmer with respect to the machine. Practically no weight or strain, however, is borne upon the extension 11 by the swimmer. His legs tonsequently are free for movement in any direction and for any purpose such as steering control of the machine or the like. It will, of course, be understood that the tubular frame 11 is sealed throughout its length to insure its greatest buoyancy and for this purpose I provide a cap 11 at the upper end of the hook.

The ballast frame 11 in addition to being made hollow for buoyancy and maximum strength in proportion to its weight, provides a storage space for ballast which I prefer to provide in the form of small bags 11 of heavy material such as buckshot which may be introduced through the rear open end of the frame and positioned at any desired place along the length of the frame according to the weight of the swimmer or the position that he'may occupy on the machine. Also the ballast will be variable according to the angle at which the swimmer desires the machine to be propelled. For example one rider will desire the horses head to be plunged more deeply into the water than another so that a smaller proportion of the swimmers head and shoulders will be projected above the surface. For this purpose ballast will be applied in the front portion of the frame. At whatever position the ballast will be placed it will be held by a packing of light material such as saw-dust from balsa wood as indicated at 11.

The operation of the machine may be briefly summarized as follows: The swimmer being positioned as shown in Fig. 3 with his trunk on the rounded upper surfaces of the float 10 in natural and easy posture and straddling the hook 11' may readily grasp the grips 25 of the levers 24 and thereby cause the oscillation of the levers with respect totheir joints 20. The connecting rods 31 will thus cause the rotation of the master gear 29 and the rapid rotation of the propellers. Obviously the direction of rotation of the propellers and the propulsion of the machine may readily be controlled by the operators hand, and if a reversal of direction is desired at any time either for stoppage or change of direction of movement this result may be attained by the stopping of the hands and causing therefrom the reversal of the master gear. This control obviously is easily acquired by experience or practice with the machine.

If desired any suitable form or construction of cushion may be employed to support the swimmers trunk upon the upper surfaces of the floats 10. While this feature is not shown it is obvious that such cushion may be made to conform to the swimmers trunk in accordance with his or her size or Such feature would be especially desirable in making long distance excursions.

I claim:

1. In a swimming machine, the combination of a buoyant body, rotatable propelling means below the body reacting rearward upon the water, manually actuated means to rotate the propelling means, and a hook shaped ballast tube frame extending longitudinally of the body and adapted to be straddled by the swimmer, said tube being hollow from one end to the other for the location of ballast therein at any desired point.

2. In a swimming device, the combination of a buoyant body comprising a tubular frame of uniform cross section from one end to the other and having at its rear end an upturned portion to be straddled by the swimmer, said frame being adapted for ballast at any point and otherwise filled with light packing material to hold the ballast in place, said body including also floating means connected to the frame and upon which the swimmers trunk is positioned,

and manually controlled propelling means secured to the said body.

3. In a swimming machine, the combination of a supporting body, a master wheel journaled below the body for rotation around a transverse horizontal axis, a pair of propellers arranged back of the body, a pair of shafts to which the propellers are fixed and extending forward to opposite sides of the master wheel, a pair of driving members fixed to the front ends of the shafts and operated by contact with opposite sides of the master wheel, and means to rotate the master wheel. I

4. In a machine of the class set forth, the combination of a supporting body, a pair of propellers arranged below the body and supported for rotation in planes at an angle to each other, a pair of shafts to which the propellers are attached, a master wheel, driving members between the front ends of the shafts and the opposite side faces of the master wheel, and means to rotate the master wheel.

5. In a swimming machine, the combina tion of a rigid body support having a forwardly pro ecting ead portion, propelling means below the body, manually controlled devices to rotate the propelling means, universal joint connections between the propelling devices and the forward extension of the body, and means to guard the pro pelling means from impact against obstructions.

ALFRED HEWLETT JONES.

(topic: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

